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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · nail · arm · pop · cue · file · saw · swing

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — music
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — music
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — to play on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a signal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com